Trenching implement.



B. WBRMUTH & W. M. BROWN.

TRENGHING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.29, 1910.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Willard MBrown & .Burf Wermufh 11v VITA/T0125.

WITNESSES.

Attorney ca, wAsnmaTmd. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURT WERMUTI-I AND WILLARD M. BROWN, 012 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRENCHING- IMPLEMENT.

To all'whom it may concern Be it known that we, BURT WERMUTH and VILLARDM. BROWN, both citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit in thecounty of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Trenching Implements, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in trenching implements in whichare employed a cutter and receiver or carrier, the cutter breaking thesoil and formin the sides and the bottom of the trench, while thereceiver catches the earth as it is loosened by the cutter, carries itup and out of the trench and deposits it at the proper distance from theside of the said trench. Horses, steam. gasolene or any other motivepower may be used for operating the trencher. We obtain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a vertical longitudinal section of the implement. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the entire implement and Fig. 3 is a view of therear end of the receiver.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views ofthe implement.

The receiver, scoop or carrier A with the handle B and the cutterconsisting of the blade C, beam or frame D and swinging plate Econstitute the main features of the implement.

a and a are upper and lower handholds attached to the handle B, b is acatch for securing the handle to receiver A, 0 is a pivot where handle Bis attached for swinging up and down, (Z is a pivot attachment forsidewise movement of the handle, 6 is the front cutting edge of receiverA, f is a strap connecting the receiver with cutter G, g is a pivotwhere a strap f is hinged to cutter C, h is the rear edge of the cutterblade C,

i is the front edge of the same, j is a plat-.

form on the frame D, and la is a head or hitch for attaching the motivepower. The cutter C is fixed to the frame D.

The handholds a a serve in handling the implement when out of theground. Handle B is made to have considerable freedom by the joints 0and d, for the reason that it interferes less when dumping and aidsotherwise in handling when operating the implement. The catch 6 isneeded when the trencher is being drawn through the bottom Specification01' Letters Patent.

Application filed October 29, 1910. Serial No. 589,768.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

of the trench, as it secures the handle to the receiver and enables theoperator to control same in cutting and directing the course of thetrench. The blade C, in cross section, is made similar to a crosssection of receiver A, except that the former is larger, thus enablingit to cut a course through which receiver A can follow without binding.

The strap f is rigidly fixed to the receiver, and is hinged to thecutter at g. This arrangement throws the draft on the receiver farenough forward to permit vibration of the draft frame with respect tothe receiver as the latter .is being drawn forward in the trench. Theattachment of strap f at g has a further purpose: As the receiver takesthe earth cut and loosened by the cutter it is necessary that the edge 6come as close to the edge 72. as possible and not interfere with themovement of the parts. In the manipulation of the beam of the cutter upand down the front and rear edges of the cutter are moved up and down intheir relation to the edge 6. By fastening the strap f to the cutter ata point between the edges h and z, the dirt will readily pass from theblade G to the receiver A and yet in no position can the edge 6 getbelow the cutter blade to catch the unloosened earth below.

The swinging plate E is arranged to run the cutter out of the ground atthe operators will. When the blade C is cutting the swinging'plate E isswung up and held underneath the platform y. As soon as the receiver isfilled the operator releases plate E and it drops down hitting theground and is forced back against the cutter blade by the forwardmovement of the machine. When the plate finally comes in contact withblade C it forms a runner to slide the device over the top of theground. The head la, where the motive power is attached, is arranged sothat the hitch can be raised or lowered to suit the kind of soil beingworked.

The device is operated by placing the cutting edge e of the cutter wherethe trench is to be started and pulling it along the course of thetrench until the receiver is filled. The swinging plate is then releasedand the cutter forced from the trench, bringing the machine up to thesurface. The handle is engaged to the rear end of carrier A by thecatch 1) while the implement is digging.

When the device is landed on the surface after being filled, the catchis released, the handle dropped down, the carrier tipped to the right orleft according to the side on which the dirt is to be deposited, andturned bottom side up, allowing the dirt to fall out. It is then tippedback on its side and by the use of the loose handle B is pulled back tothe place of starting the first cut and the process repeated. The startis made at the same place until the trench is deepened to the gradewanted. Then each draw completes a portion of the grade, working fromthe bottom upward to the surface on an angle. Should the cutter fail toenter the soil because'of its texture, one of the operators can stand onthe platform and force it in. The plate E is swung up by means of a ropeR which extends from the handle over a pulley S set in a slot in theplatform j to connection with the plate E. By pulling the rope the platemay be swung up and by releasing the rope the plate drops.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is i 1. In a trenching implement, thecombination of a carrier, a soil cutter located in advance of thecarrier and pivotally connected thereto, the pivot being located at adistance above and in advance of the front edge of the carrier, and adraft device connected to the cutter.

2. In a trenching implement, the combination of a scoop, a draft frameconnected thereto, and a plate pivoted to and depending below the draftframe, and adapted to swing forwardly and upwardly to posit-ion underthe draft frame, or downwardly and baekwardly to position in front ofthe scoop.

3. In a trenching implement, the combination of a scooped shapedcarrier, a pivoted Ushaped draft frame connected at its opposite ends tothe opposite sides of the carrier, and a cutter fixed to the draft frameand adapted to swing therewith and depending in front of the carrier andshaped to deliver material thereto.

4. A trenching implement,having a scoop, and a handle pivoted to therear wall of the scoop to swing transversely with respect to the scoop,and a catch pivoted to the handle and adapted to engage the rear wall ofthe scoop and hold the handle in rigid relation thereto.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

- BURT VVERMUTH.

YVILLARD M. BROWN. Witnesses:

MAUDE E. HENSIEN, ETI-IEL R. CADAQET.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

